Plague Zombie

Do you find the standard zombies in D&D to be lacking a certain... contagious aspect? Well, look for further — plague zombies are here to fill that niche. Good for casual encounters or a classic global apocalypse, plague zombies bring a few new twists to an old favorite.

Here's what you get:

• 3 new Tier 1 monsters: the plague zombies (types I-III), each with their own style of contagious zombie rot.

• A variant rule for allowing PCs (and monsters!) to make called shots in combat, targeting specific parts of a creature's body.

This product has been added to the DMs Guild Creature Index. http://www.dmsguild.com/product/184543/DMs-Guild-Creature-Index

April 30, 2016 10:31 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hey, just wondering if im ok to use this in my campaign blog, along with other items you've uploaded provided i link back to the purchase page

Joe KMay 01, 2016 4:23 am UTC

CREATOR

Hi Matt, I'm fine with it — and I appreciate the visibility! I don't think that violates anything with the Guild, either. Glad you're getting some use out of these!

Michael SApril 24, 2016 4:50 pm UTC

PURCHASER

So I read through this, it's some pretty good work, but I don't agree with a few small problems. First and foremost, the rules for the Called Shot seem kind of clunky. I understand what you're going for - the accuracy is hard to manage, but hitting might not be. I'd personally recommend Disadvantage to execute a Called Shot, because if your attack misses, it's going to miss. If you aim at a zombie's head and it shambles out of the way, you didn't hit its head. You could have the player reroll the attack if the called shot misses, but that should be the end of it. Adding in a save on the part of the target just makes certain enemies completely immune to it. Once you get to the point that enemies have a +9 or greater to Dex Saves, they literally can't be hit by Called Shots anymore - Even when they're immobile!
The second problem that I saw was that the Create Plague Zombie spell was way too high of a level for what it actually does. Sure, you get a regenerator, but if the Called Shot rule is in effect, and...See more you're fighting anything smarter than Intelligence 6, it'll realize to rip the thing's head off. Or just do it anyway. There goes a 6th level spell slot. I'd recommend having the spell summon 2d4 Plague Zombies, 1d4 level 2 Plague zombies, or 1d2 Level 3 Plague Zombie. Then you get some bang for your buck.

Joe KApril 24, 2016 9:36 pm UTC

CREATOR

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback! For Called Shots, I went with a Dex save because disadvantage doesn't stack. I wanted called shots to impose a separate hurdle to success independent of disadvantage, mainly because sometimes you don't hit what you're specifically aiming at but you still hit, and also because sometimes you get disadvantage from another source (like being blinded) so I didn't want people compelled make called shots whenever that happens because there'd be no extra penalty imposed. Plus, most conditions that should make you fail called shot saves (paralysis, stunned, etc.) do in fact cause you to auto-fail Dex saves. That said, there might be room here for a Feat that bumps the DCs for your called shots...

Lastly, I think you'll find the overall difficulty of the Called Shot to be about on par with the Undead Fortitude power available of core zombies, though I think plague zombies have the edge.

As far as the spell goes, here's my thinking: consider that Create Undead...See more can at best (in terms of building up strength in numbers) make a pair of wights with a 7th-level spell slot, which in turn can make zombies. A single Type II plague zombie vs. a pair of wights seems fair, to me.

Joe KApril 25, 2016 5:49 am UTC

CREATOR

Hi Michael! I went ahead and switched Called Shots from Dex saves for the victim to Dex checks for the attacker. This should eliminate obsolescence (no one is getting their proficiency bonus on called shots) while maintaining the distinct hurdle to success independent of disadvantage. I also think it makes more sense to keep the rolls on the attacker's side of the table, rewarding high-Dex characters with easier headshots. Thanks again for the feedback!

Michael SApril 25, 2016 10:19 am UTC

PURCHASER

No problem, that does seem to resolve the issue, though if the player is the one making the saving throw, there needs to be a DC of some kind. Perhaps opposed dexterity saves? I honestly am unsure, but that does delete the obsolescence.

When I originally saw this I thought how much use will this be for succh a short page count. As it stands out, heaps. When it all comes down to it, how much do you really need to simulate a zombie apocolypse, where the dead bite you and the living die, [...]

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